The need for systems and apparatus for improving driver education, particularly for drivers of trucks, public transportation vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars is readily apparent. Insurance companies provide favorable insurance rates for governmental agencies whose drivers have taken training in handling vehicular emergencies and breakdowns including tire blowouts and other critical vehicular malfunctions.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,532,140 and 3,838,717 tire blowout simulators for vehicles are disclosed. In the earlier patent, a reciprocating valve arrangement is secured to the lug nuts of a wheel rather than being independently mounted. Moreover, the design of the valve does not provide for rapid inflation of the tire. In the later patent, the valve includes a diaphragm which is susceptible to malfunction should dirt particles or other contamination become lodged between the diaphragm and the valve sealing surface. The device is mounted on the wheel using flexible hoses resulting in vibration at high speeds and substantially prevents effective wheel balancing.
It is to the elimination of design disadvantages of such prior art devices that the valve of the present invention is directed.